Palgongsan Provincial Park (팔공산 도립공원), with its highest peak called Birobong (비로봉) at 1,192m, is located just outside of Daegu City in the north. Within the park are a number of attractions including Gatbawi (갓바위), Donghwasa Temple (동화사) and Daedeok Cable Car, Gasansanseong Fortress (가산산성), and several other Buddhist relics scattered around the mountain range.

Small temple below Gatbawi

I decided to hike from Gatbawi, an image of a medicine Buddha carved in rock and located on the far eastern end of the mountain range, to the middle of the range where Birobong is located. The name, Gatbawi, translates as “hat rock” because the stone Buddha looks like it is wearing a hat.

Gatbawi

This hike was about 9km in length, but aside from the length, wasn’t a difficult hike. Once you reach the top at Gatbawi, you basically stay at the top with only minor ups and downs along the trail.

There is a regular bus that departs from in front of Daegu Station and takes just 40 minutes to get to the parking lot where the trails to Gatbawi begin. A tourist information center (9am-5pm) is in front of Daegu Station where you can pick up a map of Daegu and get help finding the bus stop.

View from Palgongsan

A little while after starting up the trail, you will come across a small temple. If you stay on the paved road to the left of the temple, it will take you to a set of steep stairs that lead you to Gatbawi. You can take an alternate route which is a little longer but much easier if you go into the temple area and find the trail that connects to the rear right corner of the temple.

The approximately 9km trail that leads to the main peak is located on the steep stairway to Gatbawi. From Gatbawi, just descend the stairs about 50m and you will see the trail. As you follow this trail the smell of incense and then the sound of the Buddhist chanting on the loudspeakers slowly fade away.

View from Palgongsan

Because of the weather, the views I had that day were moderately hazy. However, I’m not sure the views would be so spectacular even if the skies were perfectly clear. The views on Palgongsan didn’t impress me as much as the ones on Gwangju’s Mudeungsan Provincial Park. Mudeungsan has trails that take hikers along the treeless peaks and ridges and provides them with great views.

I descended the mountain toward the hermitage called Budoam (부도암) and then made my way to a bus stop near the cable car parking lot. The total trip took me about 5 hours from the parking lot of Gatbawi to Budoam. One could hike the entire 18km to Gasansanseong Fortress if they left early in the day and brought plenty of water and snacks, but that would be one heck of a hike.

View from Palgongsan

Sitting at my desk and looking back, the hike from Gatbawi to Birobong on Palgongsan is low on my list of recommendable hikes. Nevertheless, I plan to hike the remainder of the trail from Birobong to Gasansanseong Fortress since the experience could be different. I’m also going to try to find the Gunwi Buddha Triad Grotto, a set of three carved Buddha images inside a cave. I’ll save my final word for when I’ve done these things.

Resources
Palgongsan Provincial Park (Korea Tourism Organization)
Palgongsan Gatbawi Area (Korea Tourism Organization)
Gunwi Buddha Triad Grotto (Korea Tourism Organization)

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